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An affidavit is a written statement of fact that you swear to be true in front of a licensed Notary Public. A sworn statement (also called a statutory declaration in some jurisdictions) is the same idea — a formal declaration of facts, signed under oath, used wherever a verbal statement won't do. We draft, witness, attest and seal affidavits every working day for visa applications, embassy filings, court matters, ward-office records and overseas universities — walk-in at our Anamnagar office in Kathmandu or fully online from anywhere in Nepal or any country abroad.
Quick answer: If a visa centre, embassy, court, university or government office has asked you for an "affidavit," "sworn statement," or "statutory declaration," what they want is a typed factual statement signed in front of a Notary Public and stamped with the official seal. That's what we do.
What is an affidavit and why does it need a notary?
An affidavit is a written declaration of fact, signed under oath. The maker of the affidavit — called the deponent — swears that everything stated is true to the best of their knowledge. Because the statement is made under oath, lying in an affidavit is not just a moral failure; it can be prosecuted as perjury under the criminal law. That seriousness is exactly why visa officers, courts and embassies ask for affidavits in the first place: an affidavit carries more legal weight than a casual letter.
The Notary Public's role is set out in Sec. 19 of the Notary Public Act 2063 (2006): certification of any document, including affidavits and sworn statements. The deponent appears in front of the notary, swears or affirms the contents, signs in the notary's presence, and the notary attests the signature, applies the official seal under Rule 16 of the Notary Public Rules 2063, and writes a numbered entry in the register book — retained for five years per Sec. 23 of the Act. That register entry is what gives a Nepal-notarised affidavit its evidentiary standing in court and at foreign authorities.
Affidavits we draft and notarize every week
Visa & immigration
- Single-status / unmarried-status affidavit (UK, Canada, Australia, Schengen)
- Financial-support / sponsor affidavit (parent, spouse, sibling)
- Affidavit of relationship (family-reunion, dependent visa)
- No-objection / consent affidavit (parental, spouse)
- Lost-document affidavit (passport, citizenship, certificate)
Court & legal
- Supporting affidavits in district, high and Supreme Court matters
- Affidavit of facts in writ petitions and constitutional cases
- Affidavit of service / process service confirmation
- Verification affidavits attached to plaints and rejoinders
- Bail-related personal undertakings
Personal & family
- Name-change affidavit (spelling correction, new legal name)
- Date-of-birth correction affidavit
- One-and-the-same-person affidavit
- Marital-status updates for ward-office records
- Guardianship / custody affidavits
Education & employment
- Gap-year explanation affidavit (study abroad)
- Source-of-funds affidavit (study, business)
- Character / good-conduct affidavits
- Employment / experience affidavits
- Self-declaration affidavits for university applications
Property & finance
- Affidavit of ownership / title (movable and immovable property)
- Lost-share-certificate / lost-bank-passbook affidavits
- Heirship and legal-heir affidavits
- Indemnity affidavits (loss / damage claims)
- Affidavit of debt-free status / liability disclosure
Statutory declarations (foreign formats)
- UK statutory declaration (Statutory Declarations Act 1835)
- Australian Commonwealth statutory declaration
- US "sworn before me" affidavit format
- Canadian solemn declaration
- Schengen-format sworn statement
How an affidavit gets notarised — start to register entry
- Share the facts and the purpose. WhatsApp us the situation in plain language: what the affidavit needs to say, who is asking for it (visa centre, court, embassy, university, ward office), and any format template they've given. The notarial act is identical regardless of destination, but the wording of the affidavit body must match what the receiving authority expects.
- We draft the affidavit. A clean, format-correct draft usually lands in your inbox the same morning for routine items — single-status, financial-support, lost-document, name-change, NOC, sponsor declarations. Complex affidavits (court verification, multi-deponent, indemnity with annexures) take a working day.
- You review and confirm the facts. Read every line carefully — you are about to swear it as true. We adjust until you are happy with the wording. Names, dates, relationships, amounts and document numbers must be exact.
- Oath, signing, attestation and register entry. The deponent appears in front of the notary (in person or, where required, by live video), affirms the contents, signs in the notary's presence, and the notary applies the official seal under Rule 16 and writes a numbered register entry under Sec. 23 of the Act.
- Delivery. Signed-and-sealed affidavit returned by hand, scanned PDF and (if requested) hard copy by courier the same business day for routine items.
The oath ceremony — what actually happens at the notary
An affidavit is the only notarial act with an oath. That's what makes it different from a notarised letter or a true-copy certification — the deponent is not just signing, they are swearing the contents are true. The ceremony itself is short but procedurally specific:
- Identity check first. Original photo ID is verified by the notary. No oath happens until the notary is satisfied who is sitting in front of them.
- Affidavit read aloud or read silently. The deponent confirms they have read every line and understand it. If the affidavit is in English and the deponent's English is weak, the notary will ask for confirmation in Nepali to be sure consent is informed.
- The oath / affirmation. The notary asks: "Do you solemnly swear / affirm that the contents of this affidavit are true to the best of your knowledge and belief?" The deponent answers "Yes" — that single moment is the legal centrepiece.
- Signature in the notary's presence. Not before, not after — Sec. 19 of the Notary Public Act 2063 requires the act to be witnessed.
- Notary attests, seals, registers. The Rule 16 seal goes onto the page, a numbered entry hits the Sec. 23 register book, and the affidavit is legally complete.
For online clients in countries where the receiving authority specifically demands a witnessed oath (some UK and Australian visa-grade affidavits), the same ceremony runs over secure video — same questions, same answers, same seal. Most affidavits don't require live witnessing of the oath; the destination authority accepts a notary-attested signed affidavit on its face.
How affidavit fees work — what you actually pay
Three components make up the total cost of an affidavit:
1. Notarial act fee
Capped by Rule 20 of the Notary Public Rules 2063 for the certification act. This is a statutory ceiling — the same with every licensed notary in Nepal. The Council can revise the cap by amendment, so we always quote the current applicable fee at the time of your request.
2. Drafting time
Our writing labour. Routine affidavits (single-status, sponsor, NOC) take little time and cost less. Complex items (court verification with annexures, multi-deponent indemnity, source-of-funds with bank reconciliations) take more drafting and are quoted before work starts.
3. Add-ons (if any)
Translation attestation if the affidavit needs Nepali↔English (Rule 20 capped per page), additional certified copies for embassies, courier for hard-copy delivery. Not every affidavit needs these — they're quoted only when required.
You'll get the full breakdown (statutory cap + drafting + any add-ons) on WhatsApp before any work starts. No drafting, no fee — we don't bill for the quote.
Why our affidavits actually clear at embassies and visa centres
Format-correct for the destination
UK statutory declarations need the "I solemnly and sincerely declare" wording from the 1835 Act. Australian Commonwealth declarations follow the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 schedule. US-style affidavits need a "subscribed and sworn before me" jurat. We draft to the receiving authority's exact template — no improvising.
Specific facts, not vague claims
"I have good income" gets bounced. "My net annual income for FY 2081/82, as evidenced by my employer's salary certificate at Annexure A and bank statements at Annexure B, is sufficient to support my dependant during the visa period" gets accepted. We rewrite woolly statements into provable facts with exhibit references — that's the difference between a refused visa and a granted one.
Annexure-aware drafting
Sponsor affidavits need the sponsor's bank statement; lost-document affidavits need the police FIR copy; relationship affidavits need the citizenship of every named relative. We list every annexure inside the affidavit body so the visa officer can match documents in the order presented.
Perjury-aware language
An affidavit is sworn under oath — false statements carry criminal exposure. We will not draft language that overstates what you can actually swear to. If a fact is uncertain, the affidavit says "to the best of my knowledge and belief"; if a detail is unknown, we mark it explicitly. Honest affidavits travel further.
Bilingual where helpful
Some Nepali courts accept only Devanagari; some embassies want English-only; some applications need both side by side. We draft in the language pair the receiving authority expects, and the notary-attested translation chain is built in for foreign use.
Verifiable for 5 years
Every affidavit goes into the Sec. 23 register with a numbered entry. If a UK Home Office case worker writes to verify a sponsor affidavit two years later, the office pulls the register and confirms it. The seal alone isn't the protection — the register entry behind it is.
How to actually deliver the affidavit to us
Two paths, both ending at the same notarial seal:
Walk-in — oath in person
Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Sun–Fri 10:00–18:00. Bring originals of every ID and supporting document the affidavit will reference. Walk in, share the facts in plain language, we draft on the spot for routine items (single-status, sponsor, NOC), you read every line, the oath happens in front of the notary, signature, seal, register entry — most clients are out the door in 30–60 minutes. The walk-in route is the cleanest path because the deponent and original documents are physically together.
Online — oath remotely
From any country in the world. WhatsApp the situation in plain language and high-resolution scans of your ID and supporting documents. We draft and email the affidavit for your review. Once you confirm every fact, we proceed with the oath and seal. For most jobs the destination authority accepts a notary-attested signed affidavit on its face; only some visa-grade items (certain UK and Australian sworn statements) require the oath itself to be live-witnessed by video — we add that step only when explicitly required. Signed PDF same day; hard copy by courier where wet ink is needed.
Affidavit vs Notarised Letter vs Statutory Declaration — what's different
| Document type | Sworn under oath? | Typical use | Legal weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affidavit | Yes — penalty of perjury | Court matters, visa, embassy, government records | Highest — admissible as evidence |
| Sworn statement / statutory declaration | Yes — "solemn affirmation" | UK / Australia / Canada visa and government use | Equivalent to affidavit in those jurisdictions |
| Notarised letter | No — only signature attested | Authority letters, parental consent, simple declarations | Confirms identity of signer; weaker than an affidavit |
| Self-declaration (un-notarised) | No | Internal company records, casual confirmations | Lowest — no third-party verification |
Most foreign visa centres and courts will accept only a sworn document — affidavit or statutory declaration. A plain notarised letter is sometimes enough for ward-office or routine bank purposes. If you're not sure which one the receiving authority needs, send us their requirement and we'll tell you straight.
The legalisation chain — affidavits used abroad
An affidavit notarised in Nepal is legally complete for use within Nepal. For use abroad, the destination authority usually wants the seal authenticated through the standard consular chain:
| Step | Office | What it confirms | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Affidavit notarisation | Licensed Notary Public Nepal | Identity of deponent + sworn signature | Our Anamnagar office (or online) |
| 2. MoFA consular attestation | Department of Consular Services, MoFA | Authenticity of the notary's seal | Department of Consular Services, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu |
| 3. Embassy legalisation | Embassy of the destination country | Acceptance for use in that country | That country's embassy in Kathmandu |
Step 1 is what we do. Steps 2 and 3 are separate offices, separate fees, separate timelines — handled directly by the client or through a forwarding agent. Important: Nepal is not a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille route for a Nepali-issued affidavit. The consular chain above is the alternative — see our explainer on the alternative-to-apostille route.
Common drafting pitfalls (and how we avoid them)
- Wrong format for the destination. A US "sworn before me" line on a UK statutory declaration will get bounced. We always check the receiving authority's template first.
- Date / number mismatches. A sponsor affidavit with a passport number that doesn't match the visa application will fail review. We cross-check every fact against the supporting ID.
- Vague language. "I have good income" doesn't help; "my net annual income for fiscal year 2081/82 (BS), as set out in the salary certificate at Annexure A and the bank statement at Annexure B, is sufficient to support the visa applicant" does. We rewrite woolly statements into provable facts.
- Missing exhibits. Affidavits often need annexures (bank statement, salary certificate, property deed). We list these explicitly in the affidavit body so the visa officer can match them.
- Unsworn documents passed off as affidavits. A typed letter with a notary stamp on it is not an affidavit. The deponent must take an oath in the notary's presence — we make sure that step actually happens.
Internal links — services that often go with affidavits
- Legal documents notarization — the parent service covering all notarial acts.
- Powers of attorney — when an affidavit isn't enough and you need to delegate authority.
- Document translation — for affidavits issued in Nepali but used abroad in English (or vice versa).
- Document legalisation — the full chain for affidavits leaving Nepal.
- True-copy certification — when the receiving authority wants both the affidavit and certified copies of supporting documents.
Our notary office in Kathmandu
Notary Nepal — Anamnagar office
Reach us directly
Send your affidavit request now — reply within 15 minutes
Working hours promise: WhatsApp the situation in plain language and we'll respond inside 15 minutes with a draft outline, the supporting documents we'll need, and the exact total under Rule 20. Most affidavits — single-status, sponsor, lost-document, name-change, NOC — are drafted, sworn, signed and emailed back the same business day. Embassy slot tomorrow morning? Visa centre cut-off in three hours? Say so up front and we'll triage you into our express slot. Don't hand-write your own affidavit hoping it works — message us on WhatsApp now.